Watch the Films

This exhibit has been curated and sequenced for ideal visitor experience but please feel free to jump around and sample any film that strikes your fancy.

TECHNICAL RECOMMENDATIONS:

Life As We Know It

An ongoing series of short films that take a humorous but thought-provoking look at modern society

For this series I purposefully employ low-tech, hand-crafted, back-to-basics filmmaking techniques …….. minimal lighting, a single boom mic, and one camera typically locked on a tripod (you guessed it, the magic is in the editing). Even the chosen shooting format is good ol’ unpretentious standard definition video. Why? Because it’s the appropriate technology for the aesthetic concept of the series. These films are re-enactments of my daydreams, and daydreams tend to be very impressionistic, without a lot of superfluous detail. Standard definition provides the bare necessities without distracting the audience with extraneous visual information. And the opportunities for selective framing, afforded by the 4X3 aspect ratio, have always been naturally suited to low-budget dramatic filmmaking.

Essentially these films are a type of “folk art” .…. we make our props out of things we scavenge, the primitive special effects are produced practically (in front of the camera) rather than digitally (in post-production), and we often shoot in locations that aren’t actually what they appear on screen because they’d never let us shoot in the real locations anyway — especially when the message of the film is critical of those locations. Our resources are limited so we’re forced to be innovative and economical, which is one of the creative challenges I thrive on.

Please note: Lest there be any uncertainty about who composed the music for these films, it was not me. It’s all stock music. But it did involve extensive research, editing and customizing.

In Development:

The Art of Making Conversation

A look at the expectations we put on each other to conform to certain socially-accepted modes of behaviour, fashion and communication. Imagine having the freedom to say what’s on your mind whether it makes sense or not, to express your vulnerability or sentimentality without fear of being judged, or to let your sillies out without eliciting frowns from nearby compatriots. Vive la diversité!

The Sound of One’s Own Species (working title)

Humans are by far the noisiest species on Earth considering the plethora of gadgets and machines we’ve created to make life more “convenient” ……. leaf-blowers, weed-wackers, pressure-washers, gas-powered lawn mowers, outdoor TV/sound systems, street-racing motorcycles, etc. As our increasingly crowded urban environment forces us to live in closer proximity to each other, the film is an appeal to be more considerate of our neighbours.

Primate Supremacists (working title)

This film turns the whole concept of racism on its head by redefining what it means to “associate with your own kind”. We witness a closed-door gathering that is restricted exclusively to members who have a common genetic alliance. The room is filled with humans of all races mingling with gorillas, chimpanzees, baboons and lemurs. The sign on the door says “Primates Only. All Others Keep Out”.

Sixteen Millimetre

In the mid-70s I wrote, directed and produced three 16mm comedy films which gave me the opportunity to learn the craft and experiment with developing a personal style of visual expression.